Check out this big 2012 F-350 that SDHQ Offroad just finished up for their friends at Spike’s Tactical. This truck is equipped with quality parts from Icon Vehicle Dynamics, TransferFlow, VisionX, Method Race Wheels, Toyo Tires, TireGate, AFE and custom SDHQ Built Bumpers. Look for more photos coming soon with a matte black-and-green wrap. Be sure to check out Spike’s website for all you AR15 and shooting needs.

For the enthusiast who wants an awesome look and aggressive throaty sound this Dual Split Rear Cat-Back exhaust is for you. Gibson’s exhaust systems decrease backpressure and produce more torque and increased horsepower. Typical gains average of 15-20 horsepower. Stainless steel dual tips exit straight out the back. Works with most bumpers, roll pans and trailer hitches. Exhaust sound is louder under towing conditions. Hassle Free bolt- on installation. No welding required. Available in heavy duty aluminized steel or high quality stainless steel.

The 2012 Toyota Tacoma TRD Baja Series is due out in May, and will not last long. According to Toyota only about 750 will be built so if you want one, start talking to your Toyota dealer now. Toyota has a long history of Baja racing and is offering this truck as the consumer version. It will feature the standard TRD package, but will be enhanced at the Toyota Logistics Services near the Toyota plant in San Antonio, Texas.
The Baja Series Tacoma will be catered towards off road enthusiasts and will be featured in only two colors. It will be available in black or red with the Baja Series graphics. It will be sold only as a V-6 4×4 with access cab or crew cab. It will be offered in either a six speed manual or 5 speed automatic transmission.
The 4.0 liter V-6 will put out about 236 horsepower. With the V-6 motor it should be somewhat full efficient getting 16 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.
SoCal Says: The Toyota Tacoma has always been one of our favorite mid-sized pickups. They are high quality and perform well. We expect the price tag to be a bit hefty though.

Did you watch the Super Bowl 46 on Sunday? If not, then you missed something that 111 million people saw: Chevy’s commercial that questions Ford durability. The commercial shows the world after the apocolypse and the only survivors are Chevy truck owners. When one of the guys asks what happened to Dave, another guy responds, “He didn’t make it. He drove a Ford.” Wow! If this was a holiday, we would be wishing Ford a Merry Dismiss! Chevy openly questioned Ford’s durability to 111 million people. Dodge ran an ad too during the Super Bowl, but nothing like this. Check out the ad below and then read SoCalTrucks.com opinion below.

SoCal SAYS: Although we’re a little surprised to see Chevy take the gloves off and fight dirty, we also give them respect for calling out their biggest competitor. At the end of the day, there are two major truck companies – Chevy and Ford. Don’t get us wrong, we love Dodge, Toyota, and Nissan trucks, but just don’t sell nearly as many trucks as Ford and Chevy. The American truck owner votes with their wallet and it’s clear who they have chosen. So rather than shy away from competition, Chevy is going after it. It will be interesting to see how Ford responds. Either way, it should be interesting. We’ll keep track of Ford’s response and report back if they choose to step into the ring with Chevy.

Team Speed, Toyo Tires, and Robby Gordon are ready to compete in the 2012 Dakar Rally. Robby will be joined by the 11-time Baja 1000 champion Johnny Campell in the bright orange #303 Hummer H3. Last year’s Dakar winner, Nasser Al-Attiyah, will be joined by Lucas Cruz in the gray #300 Hummer H3.

Gordon and Toyo have been competing in Dakar since 2006. “Toyo Tires and I have worked hard over the years to develop a tire combination that is right for the HUMMER,” said Gordon. “Their team has put a lot of effort into making a Toyo tire that is tough, durable and ready for the Dakar Rally. It has good grip and can sustain the varying terrain, from sand to slick gravel roads to hard rocky areas. I look forward to getting out there and racing on it.”

Dakar is a 14-day, 6,000 mile race that starts in Argentina and finishes in Peru. It’s like the Baja 1000 on crack. “Dakar is the most challenging off-road endurance race on the planet and is a true test of both man and equipment,” said Stan Chen, manager of events and motorsports, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “We are proud to have Toyo Tires represented by these off-road champions. The Open Country M/T-R is the perfect tire to lead them to their goal of winning the 2012 Dakar.”

SoCal SAYS: When you are thinking about a product for your truck (suspension, tires, wheels), just look at where the company competes. If the company has their products on vehicles competing in the Baja 1000 or Dakar race, it’s pretty likely that they can hold up in Glamis. Toyo stands for quality and that’s probably why the Open Country is one of the best selling truck tires in the history of lifted trucks.

19 year old California native Vicki Golden will compete in Arenacross in 2012. Starting in January, in a first for the sport of Arenacross, Golden has been added to the lineup of the most successful team in arena racing history: Babbitt’s Kawasaki. In doing so, she will become the first woman to compete in the AMA Arenacross Lites class.
Female racers generally have limited options as far as racing in the Winter, and Arenacross (a smaller tighter version of motocross) paves an Avenue for females to compete in the Winter. Golden will be making history, and will hopefully leave her mark in the arena.
Golden won the X Games gold medal this past summer in Arenacross which makes her a threat for this upcoming season.

SoCal Says: Congrats to Vicki and her team for making history. We wish her the best of luck in the upcoming season.

If you are the sort that really likes compact pickups, your choices are getting very slim here in the States. Ford and GM have both discontinued their compact trucks here in the US leaving one of the only choices being the Toyota Tacoma. The Tacoma has a redesigned body and interior this year giving the truck a fresh look. Toyota has unveiled the pricing for the 2012 Tacoma truck across all the models in the range.

The 2012 Tacoma will come in three cab types with the regular cab, the Access Cab (extended cab), and a four door Double Cab model. The base prices for the redesigned Tacoma will start at $16,875 for a regular cab 4×2 with a 2.7L 4-cylinder and a five speed manual transmission. On the high-end of the range, the Double Cab 4×4 long bed truck with a 4L V6 and a 5-speed auto transmission will go for $27,835.

All of the prices will have an extra $180 bucks added for shipping. The prices represent and increase from previous models of up to $645 depending on the model. The refreshed trucks will be arriving at dealer lots this month from the plants in San Antonio and Baja California, Mexico. It’s worth noting that GM may being a compact truck that is sold globally to the US eventually.

SoCal Says: We have always been huge fans of the Toyota Tacoma. However, we did hate on the Baja edition coming out later this year. Tacoma’s have always been priced higher than GM, and Ford, but hey you get what you pay for. Several companies put out great lifts for Toyota’s and one of our all time favorites is Total Chaos. Look for them to build a pretty sick lift for the 2012 Tacoma.